Paradise found: a steady summer breeze and a long down wind run home.

Planning on a far flung sailing adventure? The Caribbean? The Med? Lake Ontario? Lake Ontario tends to get the short shift when it comes to sailing destinations. The smallest of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario is still the 14th largest in the world and is second when it comes to average depth of all the Great Lakes combined. Carved from glaciers some 450 million years ago, the lake is 193 miles long and 53 miles wide, and to give you an idea of it’s size, it takes six years for all the water in this unsung lake to replace itself. Celebrated by thermal underwear wearing weathermen for its lake effect snow producing capabilities that make the rest of us glad we’re some place else in winter, Lake Ontario offers something of a sailing wonderland in more temperate seasons.

To begin with, there are literally a thousand islands to explore for those sailing up into the St. Lawrence Seaway and the aptly named Thousand Island region. On the eastern end of the lake proper, summer brings gentle breezes, warm, clear water that can have visibility of thirty feet or more, and a number of charming ports and friendly people. For saltwater sailors, it takes some getting used to not dodge the freshwater spray coming over the bow on a hot day. There’s no salty residue when the water dries, only smiles, and the cockpit cushions will dry in a few short hours under the sun. The sailing season here is short--stalwart sailors launch in April and haul out at the end of October when fall gales bring fast moving systems and unsettled weather. Yet, what the sailing season here lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality.

First a confession you can probably guess is coming: this was my back yard and I’ll admit to some hometown bias for the area. It seems like it was only a few seasons ago that I took a Sailfish (sort of like a Sunfish but with no cockpit) on a solo sail for the first time in the harbor. The boats in the anchorage seemed to exert a mysterious attraction back then, and any attempt I made at avoiding them only furthered my progress toward them. Luckily the wind was light and my fending off skills were developed enough to keep the moored boats out of harm’s way. That sail ended with the wind dying completely and my stepfather coming out in the sail school launch for a tow back to civilization. The Iroquois Indians that lived in this area thought so too, giving it the name Ontara, or ‘beautiful lake.’

Some pint-sized seamen set to test their skills.

What’s so great about it? The lake is bordered by low swept hills that come alive in the summer with a verdant green found only in the Northeast in summer sunlight. Surrounded largely by rural lands, there’s a hint of simpler times in the air. The eastern end of the lake has the best and most consistent wind. The traffic, or lack thereof, is another pull. Sure there are powerboats and fishing charters, but at this end of the lake south of the St. Lawrence seaway, you don’t have to worry about being run over by tankers or tugs like you do on many congested waterways, and the jet ski factor is also at a minimum. And if you compare charter boat flotillas at any number of more mainstream sailing destinations, you’re not going to have to worry about someone pulling up your anchor as they retrieve theirs. Pull into any one of the charming family orientated yacht clubs that dot this stretch of coast and you’re more than likely to have someone meet you on the dock to take your dock lines and give you the lay of the land; the camaraderie rivals anywhere.

Navigating on this end of the lake is fairly straightforward, shoals are few and far between and are well marked with maintained buoys. There’s no tide either, which makes life a little easier in the navigating and anchoring departments, although if snow pack isn’t at its usual Siberian levels during the winter, the water can be lower some years than others. By July, the water is ready for swimming and snorkeling for those who aren’t polar bears.

A bonfire ashore, a boat anchored in the background, more evidence life is good.

There are sheltered harbors a short day sail away and the open water to the west that can serve up weather that will try the saltiest dog around. There’s history here too. Witness two ships that sank in the War of 1812, the Hamilton and the Scourge, both which sank on August 7, 1813 in a fierce squall and which a amateur historian is now trying to raise. A 40-mile day sail away one can find another country and the discover the charms of Kingston, Ontario, a great mix of sailor friendly, naval history, and cosmopolitan vibe. You’ll not only feel like you‘ve sailed to another country, but actually will have done it.

There are islands to sail to and explore, the chance of catching the aurora borealis or Northern Lights at anchor, trout, salmon, and bass to catch, birds to watch and, of course, races to race. The area annually hosts the Hospice Regatta. Last year the Hospice regatta netted $40,000, with 100% of the proceeds going toward providing care for intervals and their families experiencing a life threatening illness. Then too, there’s the Lightning District Regatta, the 70-mile race out to Duck Island and back and this year the J/29 North Americans will come to the area--just some of races on the calendar. So if you’re thinking about doing something different and a bit off the beaten track, don’t rule out this special part of the world.

Additional Resources:

Yacht Clubs/Charters:
Henderson Harbor Yacht Club
Oswego Yacht Club
Sailing in the Thousand Islands
Sodus Bay Yacht Club
Kingston Yacht Club